Maybe It's Love
by TeddyHeartBears
Summary: Gaara has never been in love, but thinks that maybe this is as close as he'll ever get to experience it. Set after Gaara Hiden, GaaraTen
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did! Enjoy :)

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 **::Prologue::**

The sight that beholds the Fifth Kazekage made him take a small step back, and for a moment it seemed like time had stopped and all he could see was just her, this beautiful woman who looked like she just walked out of one of those old wives' tales that he had often hear being told by the old women in the village to their young grandchildren. Everyone and everything else in the background faded until it was only just the two of them, standing face to face in the giant hall. He could faintly hear the sound of his own heart beating like drums; hear his breath catch in his throat; feel the little butterflies in his stomach. It made him feel slightly sick, so nervous, but at the same time if he dared, excited.

This feeling was something he had never experienced before. It was something he'd never dared to dream of, had wished deep down that it was something he could maybe one day have. It was only something he had heard from the telltales of his siblings and Naruto when they tried to explain to him how it feels like when you're in love. Gaara is not sure if he is in love, but he thinks that maybe this is something close to it, that maybe this is as close as he'll ever get to feeling something like this. And he tries to store the memory of this feeling, deep into the recesses of his mind so to not forget it as he does not think he will be lucky enough to experience it again.

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little prologue, please read and review, I would really appreciate it!


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Just a lot of background story this chapter, enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Invitation**

Emerald eyes stared blankly at the scroll that laid unraveled on the wooden desk as the Fifth Kazekage contemplated what had just presented itself to him. It was an invitation from the Land of Spring's daimyo, Lord Hosokawa for the Kazekage to attend their yearly winter festival.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War several years ago, the Land of Wind was happy to support their troops and had paid for all expenses required that had eventually led to the victory of the Shinobi Alliance. But though victory was achieved, it was not without great loss. There were many casualties as a result from the war, many who lost their lives to create a better future for the younger generation to live in. To those that have lost their lives, they have left their families and loved ones behind. To those that were injured greatly, they have lost their abilities to continue to perform the duties of a shinobi. Issues were arising from the casualties from war, families of the shinobi who so bravely gave their lives demanded compensation; those that were injured required rehabilitation. The daimyo of the Land of Wind was reluctant to foot out the money to cover these issues and had said that they have supported them enough throughout the war. And so Sunagakure is currently facing difficulties from a lack of funding.

Gaara was left with the responsibility to get the funding and money to cover these issues, and has been negotiating a trade deal with the Land of Spring's daimyo over the past few months. It was difficult, the Spring's new daimyo was very arrogant, conceited and stubborn, and it took a great deal of patience and writing back and forth to even start negotiating a trade deal that would benefit them both. The Land of Spring had a wealth of ores and gems, something which the Land of Wind lacked. And in return, because the Land of Spring is still a small, growing country, they lack in manpower and weaponry, which was something Sunagakure was able to provide. They have been working on a trade for the precious ores and gems in return for weapon supplies for the country, and are currently in the final moments of finalizing the trade deal.

It was difficult, and dealing with the Spring's daimyo gave the Kazekage headaches, but it had to be done. There was just one problem, the Spring's daimyo is reluctant to sign the deal off unless he has personally met the Kazekage, but at the same time Lord Hosokawa refuses to travel to the Land of Wind himself. This meant that the Kazekage himself must travel to the Land of Spring to have a meeting with the daimyo, something which Gaara had found hard to schedule for. The journey to the Land of Spring will take a couple of days at least, and the Kazekage simply didn't have the luxury of spending a week or two away from the village, not with the increasing number of reports regarding bandits terrorizing the villagers and visitors entering and leaving the borders of Wind.

Gaara sighed silently at this, resting his forehead against his clasped hands. For the past few months it seemed like Sunagakure has had its fair share of issues, and more seem to pop up every day. Not to mention the elders have been even more persistent with trying to play matchmaker after that failed marriage meeting with Hakuto of the Hoki family that the Suna Council had arranged for him.

If Gaara allowed himself to think further on it, he had actually thought that Hakuto would have been a good match for him. He had thought her beautiful at first sight, which shocked and embarrassed him at the same time. It had been awkward to start out with. He remembered fumbling over what to say in his mind but they had actually gotten along quite well. He remembered feeling pleased at how their conversation had turned out though, and when Hakuto had labeled him kind, he had felt content. Happy even. He had only ever felt like that when he attended to his cacti, and he had thought…was this love?

He had read the Icha Icha Paradise series of books, and has heard about love from his siblings, Naruto and even Lee. He remembers them talking about the pain of missing someone, or having unrequited feelings. He also remembers Yashamaru telling him long ago about the pain he was feeling in his chest that can only be cured by love. Over the years the clenching pain in his chest had turned into a dull throbbing, and he thinks it may have lessened after meeting Naruto and he learnt that Kankuro and Temari cared about him, loved him as a sibling. Being a Kazekage meant he was busy all the time, and he barely had any time to think about himself. On the odd occasions when he lay awake at night, _because he still has difficulty with falling asleep_ , he feels the loneliness grip him that not even his siblings can fill, and he feels the clenching in his heart intensify.

But he thinks that no, it couldn't have been love that he felt for Hakuto because even when he had found out that Hakuto was in love with someone else and had planned to use their planned wedding as an excuse to elope, he hadn't felt the pain in his heart get stronger, nor was he bothered by it. So what was it then, that he had felt for Hakuto? He -

"Gaara, are you okay?" Temari's voice broke him out of his reverie.

He looked up at her concerned eyes and nodded. She didn't look convinced, but Temari continued on.

"What do you think? It'll be a good opportunity to finally get this deal moving." _And not to mention, you need some time away from the office._ Temari has always been concerned for her little brother; he was always working hard but barely had any time for himself. And she thinks that the chance for him to take a "vacation" has come, the winter festival in the Land of Spring a perfect opportunity for him to relax.

"I think it's a great idea! Get Gaara out to see the world, meet new people, two birds in one stone!" Kankuro piped up.

"Maybe even get yourself some booty -" Temari smacked him on the upside of his head, growling at Kankuro's straightforwardness.

"He's not going there for that, you idiot!" But Temari secretly thought to herself, that meeting someone new could do Gaara some good, even great if he finds someone.

She worries about him, her little brother. Temari will be getting married to Shikamaru, and she'll be moving to Konoha. While Kankuro will still be in Suna with Gaara, she was still feeling reluctant to leave him behind, on his own. She felt like she needed to make sure that Gaara was taken care of, _not that he can't take care of himself._ She had gotten her hopes up when she learnt that the meeting between Gaara and Hakuto went well, that maybe, he would finally have someone but Gaara was still missing that someone special. She knew he wouldn't admit it to them, but she knew that deep down, Gaara felt lonely even as he still struggles with learning what love is.

"I am worried about leaving the village unattended for two weeks, there are still matters that need attending to and-"

"Leave it to us. We'll handle everything here. This trade deal has been dragging on long enough, and if you meet Lord Hosokawa at the winter festival he'll have no more excuses to put off from signing the deal." Temari offered, also eager to have the deal sorted out as soon as possible. She's tired of that old fat geezer making them chase after him, as if they've got nothing better to do.

Gaara sighed and nodded in agreement. It was about time they got this deal over and done with, and the people of the Wind came first. They really needed the money they'd be able to get from selling the crystals, and the people were getting more and more restless each day.

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Hazel brown eyes regarded the scroll that had just been handed to her, heart slightly racing at being assigned a mission. Tenten was excited; it had been a long while since she'd been on a mission, and this would be her first time travelling to the Land of Spring. She had heard the stories about this place from Sakura and Naruto from their mission there when they were still Genin, and she had always wanted to see with her own eyes how beautiful this place was. And the opportunity to do just that had presented itself right before her.

Kaitou Taichi, a travelling merchant that frequented the five nations every month had requested help from Konoha after being robbed by bandits while he was crossing the border between the Land of Wind and Fire. He had broken his arm in an attempt to fend off the bandits until a group of Konoha shinobi who were patrolling the borders came to his aid. Kaitou had then insisted that he be escorted after the robbery, not willing to risk running into more bandits and losing goods. He was planning on travelling to the Land of Spring to bring in some goods from the other nations to sell, the daimyo had just recently given him permission and it would be a waste to turn down this opportunity.

The Land of Spring was a very isolated nation. Ever since Lord Hosokawa took over, the borders were closed off to outsiders. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that they announced that the borders will be opened for the winter festival. Kaitou of course had immediately jumped at the opportunity, already thinking of the amount of money he'd make selling goods to a small and isolated country.

"It'll be a simple solo mission to escort and protect Kaitou-san and his cargo until he reaches the Land of Spring safely. Do you accept?" The Rokudaime Hokage enquired.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. You'll leave tomorrow morning. The journey should take about a week. And I grant you a few days leave to partake in the winter festival, if you wish to do so. You may leave now if you have no further questions." Kakashi smiled, seeing the way her hazel eyes lit up at the permission of staying a few extra days.

"Thank you so much Hokage-sama! I'll be back in two weeks!" Tenten bowed, feeling grateful for the 'holiday' Kakashi had granted her, leaving the Hokage's office with a slight spring in her step.

Kakashi watched the door close behind her, and he sighed silently. He never really had to deal with Tenten much before on missions and therefore did not know her well, but even he could tell that the girl was feeling lonely and bored. He had heard of her whenever Gai bragged about his beloved students, and he had heard about how the death on their teammate had affected them. Tenten, most of all. He knew that she had spent a lot of time with Neji in the past, having been his training partner for years. And while she had also spent time training with Lee after Neji began training more and more with Hiashi and was tasked to help Hinata with her training, Kakashi knew that it was different with the Hyuuga boy. He knew that the loss she suffered had broken her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

 _I hope this trip will do her some good._

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 **Please read and review, thanks!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you very much for the reviews! I will try to work on my grammar mistakes, I know I switch between past and present tense a lot _ !

I will also aim to update the story once a month due to other commitments taking place

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 **Chapter 2: Meeting**

The Kazekage sighed as he boarded the ship, not looking forward to the long travel and the cold climate that awaited him. Gaara hated the cold; he was used to the blazing heat in Suna, the warmth it brings. The cold made him feel lonely more than anything; it was a blatant reminder of the emptiness in his heart and how cold it had felt when he was young when he had no one to depend on and only had himself.

"Bye Gaara! We'll see you soon!" Temari waved from the port, feeling relieved that Gaara will be getting a break from work.

The redhead sighed quietly and turned around to give them a wave, silently hoping that the next few days will pass quickly.

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Gaara settled into his allocated room, not able to decide if he should stay inside or go out onto the deck. The daimyo of Spring had sent his own ship for his invited VIP guests, which the Kazekage thought was just a show of money from the daimyo. The ship itself wasn't very big, Gaara had noticed that there were only five rooms, but it was equipped with a small restaurant-bar area. His own room was very spacious and came with a private bathroom, so Gaara assumed that each room had one, and for this he was grateful. He didn't really relish the idea of sharing such a place with someone he doesn't know.

He had already met three of the other guests; each of them were from a prestigious family from some of the smaller villages scattered around the different nations. He had secretly wondered at the daimyo's choice of guests, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off and it tingled at his senses and made his spine tense.

 _Perhaps I am overthinking this._ The redheaded Kazekage sighed and sat at the desk that was strategically placed in the corner of his room, facing a large window as wide as the desk. He stared out into the sea, watching the waves crash into another, feeling the ship rock as it hit the waves and willed himself not to feel seasick.

He pulled out some of the paperwork he had brought along with him, trying to pass the time and what better way to do that then to immerse himself in work. Temari and Kankuro had protested immensely when they saw him pack some of the paperwork, but Gaara had been adamant in bringing them along.

This was going to be a long trip.

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The ship had stopped at a harbour at a small village, scheduled to pick up one last guest. Gaara was pleased, the ship was restocking some supplies so they had been allowed an hour to stretch their legs and walk through the village if they desired. He stepped off onto the wooden ramp, breathing in the fresh crisp air. The small village was bustling with people; no doubt it was a popular area for ships and merchants to stop by.

Gaara stopped in front of a small tea shop, deciding to stop here for a cup of tea to settle his nerves. The Kazekage liked tea, it gave him a sense of calmness and he appreciated the warmth it brings too. The little shop was a very well set up despite the size, there were several chabudai scattered around the shop, and along the walls were displays of custom made tea sets that have been made by the shop owner. Gaara admired the sets, they were very well made. Each had their own little quirks to them. He sat down at the low table, pouring tea from the porcelain teapot the old woman had served him into the little cup. He took a few seconds to appreciate the aroma of the tea, before carefully sipping the jasmine tea.

"Fancy running into you here, Kazekage-sama," a soft voice that sounded like tinkling bells interrupted him, sounding vaguely familiar. The Kazekage raised his teal green eyes at the direction of where the voice came from, and met with hazel brown. He recognised her trademark twin buns that sat atop her head. He nodded at her, and she smiled and gave a small wave with her hand. Something about her smile made him pause. Maybe it was the way the light had caught in her eyes at the moment, but Gaara silently thought that her smile was very sincere. He watched as her lips parted, no doubt about to say something.

"Kazekage-sama! It's such a pleasure to see you here!" a rather loud, deep voice was heard instead, and the said Kage turned to see a familiar man come up to stand next to the woman who looked slightly irritated that she was interrupted, if the small twitch in her right eye said anything.

"Kaitou-san, what brings you here?" Gaara recognised the said merchant; he had not long ago been to Suna. He personally did not like the man himself, he was selfish and very boisterous, but the stall he opens to sell items from other nations and small villages were always looked forward to by the villagers.

"I am here on business of course, I'll be travelling to Yukigakure with an invitation from the daimyo himself," Kaitou said smugly, flashing him what was meant to be a charming smile to the ladies but it just disgusted Gaara. _Ah, so he's the other guest they were picking up._

"I was attacked by bandits a few days ago and luckily they didn't manage to steal much from me, but now I have Tenten-san-" he wrapped his right arm around her shoulder, "- to escort me to make sure it doesn't happen again." His blue eyes leered at the woman next to him, eyes lingering on her chest.

Something in Gaara stirred as he watched his fingers traced circles at Tenten's shoulders, and he silently wondered at his left arm sitting in the sling. If he so happened to break his right arm too… Gaara's eyes widened at his own thoughts and mentally shook his head, unsure where they had come from.

"I'll have to remind you to keep your hands to yourself, Kaitou-san," Tenten gritted those words out as she stepped away from him, a forced smile plastered on her lips.

Unfazed, Kaitou dropped his arm and gestured towards the empty seats around Gaara.

"Where is your entourage, Kazekage-sama?"

"I am here by myself, I will also be travelling to Yukigakure," he stated softly, taking another sip of tea.

"That's wonderful! Well, I'll see you on the ship Kazekage-sama, I am tired from my travelling and shall retire to the ship to rest first," he announced his leave, looking back at Tenten, obviously trying to signal her to follow him.

Gaara looked back up to Tenten , catching her rolling her eyes at the merchant. She looked back at him, and her features immediately softened, the muscles in her face relaxing.

"I'll see you around Kazekage-sama," she bowed to him, and he nodded at her as she turned around to take her leave.

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Tenten was beginning to find that Kaitou was a pervert. She had her suspicions when she first met him at the gates of Konoha, preparing to leave. He was excited more than usual when he had found out that his escort was a female.

While they were walking on foot to a small village where the harbour was, his first attempt at touching her had almost caused him a broken wrist. He had been walking very close to her, and when he suddenly lifted his right arm to wrap around her waist as they were walking, she had grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back, surprised at the sudden touch. When he gave a cry of surprise, she had quickly let his arm go and apologised, warning him not to touch her without asking.

Since then he had tried more subtle ways to touch her at every opportunity he had. He had 'tripped'over a stone and had reached out to grab her arm to steady himself, walking so closely to her that he could brush their hands together as they walked. He had tried to get her to support him while walking, groaning that with his broken left arm he was feeling tired. Tenten was slowly getting irritated at his behaviour, but had to hold herself in check to not injure him, because that would mean a fail in her mission. His touch sent shivers running down her spine, it felt like there were spiders crawling up and down her body, it made her feel sick.

It had been a pleasant surprise to see the Kazekage when she had stepped into the little tea shop. She had to do a double take when she first spotted the redhead when he was eyeing the cute tea sets; she never would have guessed that the Kazekage liked tea. When he had mentioned that he would be on the ship to Yukigakure as well, she was silently pleased to have someone she knew on the journey. Even though they weren't close and she could count the number of interactions they'd had on one hand, she was glad to have someone else there so she wouldn't be stuck alone with the pervert.

As Tenten and Kaitou were guided through the ship to their allocated room, as soon as the boy opened the door Tenten grew alarmed at the situation. There was only one bed.

"I am very sorry Tenten-san, we do not have a spare room or bed for you as we were not prepared to having extra passengers," the humble boy apologised, bowing deeply before leaving them.

"Well then Tenten-san, I guess we'll just have to share beds for this trip!" Kaitou sounded enthusiastic at the idea and he flashed her what was supposed to be a charming smile but it just made her cringe at the thought of sharing the same bed as him.

"I'll have to refuse, Kaitou-san. I'll sleep on the floor. I've packed a futon in my survival kit," Tenten swiftly replied, slightly gritting her teeth together. This was so not ideal, she did not want to share the same room as him, let alone his bed.

Kaitou shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned at her refusal to share his bed. "You'll come to me sooner or later, the floor will be cold," he smirked.

 _The cold would be better than sleeping with you._ Tenten thought bitterly as she summoned her futon from her scroll and laid it at the corner furthest away from the bed. She just prayed for this mission to be over quickly so she could enjoy the festival at Yukigakure. This mission was slowly turning into a nightmare.

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Tenten looked around the room, finally glad that she was alone. Kaitou had gone to the bar for a drink, so she made the decision to take a quick shower before he came back. As she stepped into the bathroom, she marveled at the size of it. It was almost bigger than her own back in Konoha, and this was on a ship! _Rich people and their money…_ She thought bitterly as she stripped and stepped into the shower, sighing at the spray of hot water running down her back. She enjoyed taking her time with her showers, it was her special time to think and to treat herself right, but she didn't have the luxury of that over here. She didn't even want to think about Kaitou walking in while she's having a shower. Knowing him and his perverted ways, he would most likely try to pull something off. And she definitely did not want his eyes on any part of her body, it was disgusting enough to feel his eyes on her while she is clothed, she did not want to even imagine him seeing her naked.

Once she was done, she quickly dried herself with the towel and dressed in her nightwear which consisted of a simple shirt and shorts, and then set about brushing and drying her hair. She contemplated leaving her hair down, but she decided against it and ended up braiding her hair into twin braids. She then left the bathroom and sat down on the futon, wondering if she should wait for Kaitou to return before falling asleep. There wasn't really much to do on this ship, except either hang out at the bar or out on the deck. She would need to find some time to polish and sharpen her tools, but that could be saved for another day. What she really wanted to do now was to sleep, truth be told she was tired from the journey just from having to fight off Kaitou's unwanted attention and touches all day.

She stared at the candle she had lit on the desk, watching the flame dance and flicker as she slowly felt her eyelids become heavy.

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 _When she opened her eyes again, she was looking at something that shouldn't be there, and she could feel her heart twist painfully. A sob escaped her lips. She stared at eyes as pale as the moon, and she remembered the feel of them watching her, always watching her even while they were at war. She could remember the weight of his Byakugan on her, and she had always known that she was safe as he watched over her in battles even while being engaged in his own, just as she had always made sure she was there to cover his blind spot, to protect him. But she had failed, hadn't she? He was gone now, and there was nothing she could do._

 _If only she had been there with him… Maybe something would have turned out differently._

 _Sometimes, in the dark recesses of her mind, she hated Naruto and Hinata. If not for them, Neji would not have had to die. If Hinata knew what she was doing, she wouldn't have needed Neji to protect her. Why did it have to be him?_

 _It shamed her to have feelings like these, Hinata was always so lovely, and Naruto although annoying at times had been their savior._

" _Tenten," his baritone voice called her name, just how she remembered he used to._

" _Neji.. I miss you so much," she could hear her voice breaking, her eyes stinging with unshed tears, her heart ripping apart, clenching painfully._

 _He brought a hand up to her cheek, and she leaned into him. Her hands found his shirt, clenching at it desperately, wanting, wishing him to not disappear. She knew this was a dream, that he would be gone as soon as she woke._

 _His hand tilted her chin up to look at him, and he pressed a soft, feather like kiss to her lips._

" _You need to wake up now, Ten."_

 _She shook her head, burying her face into his neck, clutching at him even tighter._

" _No… I want to stay here with you," she could feel her tears sliding down her face, her teeth clenched together trying to stop her lips from quivering._

" _I'll always be watching over you," he whispered softly into her ears, the same words he had said to her before they had gone their separate ways in the war._

 _And she could feel him slipping away from her fingers, slowly materializing away and disappearing into the darkness._

" _NO!"_

She awoke with a start, her hazel eyes wide and unfocused, her breathing laboured, and she noticed an uncomfortable weight on her. As her vision cleared, she found herself staring up at blue eyes, pupils dilated. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, as he leaned closer towards her, and she realised that Kaitou was drunk.

"I will have you tonight."

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 **A/N:** As always, thank you very much for reading!


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